This September, Princesshay X Exeter College are coming together once again for a vibrant celebration of sustainable fashion and this year, our brands are part of the creativity! Students have teamed up with Princesshay retailers to design a brand‑inspired collection using materials from Levi’s, Victoria’s Secret, Wagamama and many more, transforming everyday items into imaginative, eco‑friendly fashion statements.

Join us in Princesshay Square

Everyone’s welcome on Thursday 24th September at 11am and 12.30pm in Princesshay Square to watch an exciting live fashion show created and performed by Exeter College students. Expect colour, creativity and big energy. See their Princesshay brand‑inspired designs, learn more about sustainable fashion and enjoy the buzz of a community coming together.

We want a big crowd, so bring your friends, gather your colleagues and clap loudly for our young talents!

This year’s event features contributions from across the college, including:

• Dance Academy adding movement, performance and energy
• Make‑up & Hair Artistry creating bold, expressive looks
• Music Production shaping the soundtrack
• Journalism capturing stories and behind‑the‑scenes moments

Together, they create an inspiring eco‑fashion showcase that celebrates creativity, sustainability and community spirit.

Food Waste Action Event

Alongside our sustainable fashion celebrations, Princesshay is proud to spotlight another brilliant community initiative: the Exeter Food Action Festival, taking place on Sunday 20th September in Princesshay Square. It’s a free community event dedicated to reducing food waste and raising awareness of Exeter Food Action’s vital work. Expect a jam packed programme of cookery demos, kids’ activities, expert talks and hands‑on sessions, all designed to inspire practical ways to cut waste and make better use of surplus food. From surplus fruit cookery demos to fermentation and preservation workshops, grow‑your‑own sessions and a Future of Food panel discussion, it’s a day full of learning, creativity and community spirit for all ages.

Initiatives we love!

We’re proud of our brand partners’ efforts and environmentally-conscious initiatives, including recycled fabrics, buy-back schemes and a mission to go vegan. Many of our stores have impressive sustainability schemes; here’s a snapshot of just some of the incredible ways we’re looking after our environment across the centre.

Lucy & Yak
They only use sustainable fabrics and you can bring your old Yaks back to them and they’ll give you money off your next ones. Read all about the good causes Lucy & Yak care about on their website. Plus Lucy & Yak are holding a BIG Preloved Sale in store from Thursday 24th – Sunday 27th September. Their usual preloved rails will be extended with pieces in all size and various styles and patterns. If you LOVE Lucy & Yak, then you don’t want to miss this!

Leftfield
Leftfield is committed to authentic, sustainable and effective natural products. They responsibly source natural ingredients and carefully select brands that meet high standards for transparency, integrity and sustainability including Neal’s Yard, INIKA Organic and Nourish London. Their evolution into Leftfield also allows the store to offer a broader range of natural medicine and wellbeing products, reflecting their belief in nature’s power to heal and restore.

Sweaty Betty
Sweaty Betty is focused on reducing its environmental impact by using recycled and organic materials, reducing packaging waste and recycling unwanted clothing. The brand uses recycled and organic materials, including ECONYL® regenerated nylon made from waste such as fishing nets, recycled plastic bottles and organic cotton. It also uses Lenzing Modal, a responsibly sourced wood fibre. Sweaty Betty is also working to keep clothing out of landfill through its leggings recycling scheme, which has recycled more than 10,000 pairs since 2019.

Reiss
Reiss is working to reduce emissions, use more responsible materials and minimise waste. In 2025, 73% of main fabric materials met its preferred material standards. Reiss  also aims to use 100% recycled-content packaging bags by 2026 and increase recycled materials in its products.

Space NK
Space NK aims to reduce its environmental footprint through reducing, reusing and recycling, working with suppliers, partners and customers. Its initiatives include promoting refillable and recyclable beauty products, with examples such as refillable Space NK hand and body products.

ProCook
ProCook is working towards net zero by 2040, with a focus on reducing emissions, waste and packaging. Key initiatives include 95% plastic-free product packaging and 100% renewable energy for direct operations. It also has a Zero to Landfill status at its UK sites, recycles old electrical items through its WEEE scheme, and uses responsibly sourced materials such as bamboo and acacia. ProCook has also been a certified B Corp since 2022.

Rituals
Rituals focuses on reducing its environmental impact through refills, more sustainable packaging and lower emissions. Its refill programme has sold over 8 million refills, saving around 1.3 million kg of packaging material. The brand is also a Certified B Corp and aims to have all packaging designed for recycling by 2030, while using at least 35% recycled material in plastic packaging.

Bring/buy-back schemes…

Bravissimo
Bravissimo makes it easy to recycle unwanted bras and swimwear of any brand or condition. Donations are collected in-store and sent to A-TEX, where they are sorted into items that can be reused and those that need recycling. Wearable items are redistributed internationally, while the rest are broken down and repurposed into materials such as insulation, car-seat components and recycled cardboard.

Lush
Lush’s Bring It Back scheme allows customers to return empty Lush plastic packaging to stores for recycling. In return, customers can receive 50p off per qualifying full-size item or, alternatively, return 5 full-size items to receive a fresh face mask.

Schuh
Schuh’s Sell Your Soles scheme encourages customers to bring unwanted shoes into stores for reuse or recycling. In return, customers receive £5 off a new pair of shoes (over £25). Shoes are sorted and cleaned by recycling partner Got Sneakers, with up to 90% intended for resale and the remainder recycled. Revenue generated from each tonne of donated footwear is donated to the RSPB to support nature conservation. 

Costa Coffee
Costa encourages customers to reuse cups by accepting any reusable cup in its stores. Costa Club members are rewarded with an extra bean when using one, meaning they only need to buy 5 drinks instead of 6 to earn a free drink.

Oliver Bonas
Oliver Bonas’ Reskinned bring back scheme lets customers return unwanted Oliver Bonas clothing, footwear, accessories and bags in exchange for up to £25 off a new online purchase. Items are cleaned, repaired and resold through the Pre-Loved shop, while those that can’t be resold are repurposed or responsibly recycled rather than sent to landfill. Customers returning 2+ Oliver Bonas items can also add up to 15kg of other unwanted clothing. 

The future’s bright…

Levi’s
Levi’s focuses on reducing water use during denim production through its Water<Less® techniques. These include innovative finishing methods that can reduce water use by up to 96% for some styles. Since the programme began, Levi’s has saved more than 3 billion litres of water and recycled over 5 billion litres.

Superdry
Superdry’s future sustainability plans focus on becoming net zero by 2040, increasing the use of lower-impact materials, and improving supply-chain transparency. Key aims include 100% organic cotton by 2030, reducing carbon emissions and water use, and fully mapping its supply chain back to raw materials.

Nando’s
Nando’s aims to reduce its environmental impact and move towards net zero, including cutting emissions across its restaurants and wider supply chain. It plans to expand innovative recycling and energy-saving technology, such as systems that reuse kitchen waste heat to heat water and buildings, while continuing to work with suppliers to reduce emissions. 

Wagamama
Wagamama’s ‘Treading Softly’ programme focuses on reducing its environmental impact through plant-based food, sustainable packaging, food-waste reduction and lower carbon emissions. Key actions include making 50% of its menu vegan or vegetarian, replacing up to 330 tonnes of virgin plastic each year with recycled materials, and ensuring takeaway packaging can be recycled at home. Wagamama also aims to be net zero by 2040, using renewable electricity and introducing electric kitchens where possible.